One Step
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Summary: SQ oneshot. Alternative SQ door scene wherein Emma doesn't leave.


_Summary: SQ oneshot. Alternative SQ door scene wherein Emma doesn't leave._

"Henry brought me back to here bring back the happy endings. My job's not done until everyone has theirs, including you," Emma says as she leans against the door hoping with all her heart that Regina will just open the door and let her in. She's not leaving either way. She'll stay by this door all day and night if she has to.

She screwed up. She went back to the past and brought back the one person who could screw up Regina's happiness. Hurting Regina was the furthest thing from Emma's mind, she never wants to hurt Regina. It killed her to see Regina be happy with Robin but Regina was happy and so Emma kept her mouth shut about her feelings. She tried to keep her heart silent and let Regina be happy.

Then she screwed it all up for her. God she screwed up and she needs to put it right. She wants Regina to be happy. She wants it more than she wants herself to be happy, and god everything is so messed up but Emma still believes. Even with soulmates and pixie dusts and Hook throwing himself at her every minute Emma still believes in the love that rests in her heart. She believes that Regina feels it too.

How could she not?

Emma's felt the way Regina stares at her. She's seen the emotions painted in caramel eyes, the adoration, admiration, love and want. She's seen fleeting glances hidden in the presence of Hook and Hood. She's felt their magic and the strength of that power. It was Regina who told her the significance of true love magic and from her Emma believed it.

Then there was Neverland and magic lessons and Regina believing in her. On that island she needed someone's faith and it was Regina's that gave her strength and hope. They were on the cusp of becoming something and then there was Pan's damn curse.

And everything got screwed up again.

Emma's the saviour. She's reminded of that every minute of every day but what kind of saviour is she if she can't help the person she loves most. Even if all she can offer is friendship and comfort because neither are ready yet for anything more – especially not Regina who needs to recover from fresh heartache and find her belief in herself once again – Emma will give all she can.

"Regina please open up."

"Go away Miss Swan."

It's all Regina has said to her since she's shown up but she cannot leave. "Regina please, I know you're hurting but I won't give up on you. You may not believe in happy endings right now but I believe there's one out there for you and if you won't fight for it I will."

She sits down by the door resting her head against it picturing Regina doing the same thing. She can hear quiet crying muffled by a suit sleeve and it breaks her heart. A tear rolls down her face in unison with Regina, though neither of them can see it at the time. "Regina I know I'm the last person you want to see but we're friends and family and I need to fix this. Please let me fix this for you."

"Is it all for you?" Regina asks her voice thick with tears, "Do a good deed so you can stay good. Fix things so you can be a hero and run off with your _pirate_. Stop the queen from returning to evil."

Emma shakes her head, not missing the jealousy and distaste surrounding the word pirate, "I don't think that. I know you won't go evil again. I know Regina. I know who you are. You're a good person and you just need to believe in yourself. You told Zelena that you make your own destiny. Now is the time for you to make it again. You choose your path and I believe you'll choose light and good and I know it may not seem like it now but there's going to be a happy ending for you one day. It's up to you to go out and find it."

"How?" Regina asks.

"Open the door," Emma replies.

There's several moments of silence before Emma hears the click of the door lock. She sighs in relief before inching it open, not too much because she knows Regina is right beside it. She slips in through the crack but Regina doesn't move, not even bothering to lift her head from her knees. Emma sits beside her, their knees knocking against each other.

"Regina you need to heal. Get over Robin. It will take time and support but you will heal and then when you're ready you'll love again."

Regina lifts her head up, tears tracking their way down a cheek as watery eyes look at her, "It feels like every time I start learning how to love it disappears again."

Emma sighs sadly before nodding knowing she has caused a lot of that pain, "Not always. You'll always have Henry. You've got Snow and Charming now too. They're your family too Regina and so you don't have to go through this alone. I know how easy it is to retreat and just keep the walls up. I've done it for so much of my life. My mother once told me that whilst my walls kept out pain they also kept out love and the same is true for you Regina. You let your walls down one by one and whilst yes right now they're causing you pain they also bring you happiness."

"Will they?" Regina asks.

"They will," Emma promises.

Regina sighs turning to stare out towards the couch where only hours ago Robin broke up with her, "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I won't give up until your happy and the first step is simply being here with you now," Emma moves cautiously before slipping an arm around Regina's shoulders. She expects Regina to move away or poof out to god knows where. What she doesn't expect is for dark curls to shift closer to her as Regina leans into the embrace and slowly begins to cry again.

Happy endings don't always come straightaway. Sometimes they aren't what we think they are and the things we think are our happy endings turn out to be another heartbreak along the word. Emma believes that Regina will get a happy ending. She still believes she'll get one too. Right now they're two souls searching for the same thing and it all starts with a step.

It all starts with the two women in that office, one seeking comfort, the other offering it but facing the long road ahead together.

_Thanks for reading :)_


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